A First Look at Russell Westbrook’s New Unisex Streetwear Line, Honor the Gift

At a time when anyone can call themselves a photographer and reality TV stars are “fashion authorities,” it’s easy to roll your eyes at the next celebrity brand. But Russell Westbrook is different. His love of fashion goes beyond #sponsored Instagram posts and flashy labels; the names Kris Van Assche and Kim Jones actually mean something to him. Last month, he even released a book with Rizzoli called Style Drivers (complete with cover art by Ray Pettibon), which is a deep dive into his style evolution and the designers and personalities who inspire him.

So, of all the fashion-minded celebrities and athletes out there, it makes sense for Westbrook to design his own collection. He’s worked with Barneys New York on capsule collections for years, but his new line, Honor the Gift, didn’t launch there. Nor did he introduce his new offering in Paris, where he often travels for Fashion Week. Instead, he chose a body shop in Oklahoma City, the hometown of his team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, for Honor the Gift’s debut. This past weekend, hundreds of fans lined up for hours to get a first look at the line, which is loosely billed as “unisex streetwear.”

It was a refreshing choice to launch in Oklahoma City, not only because it gave those die-hard fans the opportunity to shop the collection first, but because Westbrook isn’t trying to distance himself from his day job. “My humble beginnings started here,” he told Vogue. “I’ve been conceptualizing the idea [for] many years and felt it’s time for me to launch my own brand with my own messages. Honor the Gift is a brand of self-belief and dedication to honor the gift ‘he’ has given you, shaped into different product offerings that represent a personal promise to challenge all and achieve greatness no matter the hardship.”

That translates to neon T-shirts, ticking-stripe sweatpants, race car graphics, and more curious “caution” and construction symbols; he said it was all inspired by “vintage automotive [design] and a sense of danger.” Each piece is generously cut in unisex proportions, too: “Streetwear has always been about comfort. I wanted a collection that both males and females can get into.”

Westbrook shared a first look at the debut collection and pop-up exclusively with Vogue here; if you missed the OKC event, you can shop the full collection online starting November 22, and look out for other pop-ups later this year.